Norman



Feb. 21, 1956 E NORMAN 2,735,545

MEANS FOR PREVENTING AXIAL DISPLACEMENT OF BILLET CONTAINERS IN METAL EXTRUSION PRESSES Filed July 18, 1952 WA k INVEN TOR. fink Mfim fwd ATTORAEYS MEANS FOR PREVENTING AXIAL DISPLACE- MENT OF BILLET CONTAINERS IN METAL EX- TRUSION PRESSES Eric Norman, Bournemouth West, England, assignor to The Loewy Engineering Company, Limited, London, England, a corporation of Great Britain Application July 18, 1952, Serial No. 299,643 Claims priority, application Great Britain July 23, 1951 6 Claims. (Cl. 207-15) The billet containers of metal extrusion presses are generally housed inside holders which are a fixture of the press. Whilst inside the holder they must be firmly held against axial displacement. During operation of the press, it becomes necessary from time to time to exchange the container for another, either because of change in the size of billets to be extruded or because of wear. During this time the press cannot be used, and it is desirable that the exchange of one container for another be carried out as expeditiously as possible, in order to reduce the time during which the press is idle. Any attachment to the container holder which obstructs the clear path of the container in and out of the holder should, therefore, be readily removable.

The means so far provided in metal extrusion presses for securing a billet container inposition in its holder and in particular for blocking its axial displacement therein, have not always fulfilled this requirement. In container holders of the type in which the container had to be entered into the holder in an axial direction, the blocking means consisted of an annular cover placed in front of the entry end of the container holder and fastened thereto by a great number of threaded bolts and nuts. Removal and replacement of these covers was therefore a tedious and slow operation, whereby the time for the exchange of containers was considerably lengthened.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a metal extrusion press having improved means for securing its billet container in position in its holder.

According to the invention, the container is blocked against axial movement when inside its holder, by means of a ring which, when interposed between the container and its holder, engages a flange on the holder from behind by means of outwardly projecting tongues, the latter being adapted to be moved into an ineffective position, thus enabling the ring to he slid past that flange and out of the container holder.

The flange of the container holder may have recesses corresponding in number and size to the tongues of the ring, so that the tongues can pass through those recesses after the ring has been turned by a certain angle.

This angle depends on the width of the tongues and recesses and can, in practice, be made comparatively small, so that a slight turn of the ring is suflicient to move the latter from its blocking position into one in which it can he slid past the flange and out of the container holder. Removal of the ring from the container holder and its re-insertion thereinto are, therefore, simple operations which can be quickly performed. 7

The container itself is preferably formed with shoulders, in a well-known manner, which co-act with the ring in preventing axial displacement of the container inside its holder.

In order to facilitate turning of the ring when in position inside the container holder, supporting rollers may be provided for the ring in the lower part of the container holder. In this way, it is possible to turn the ring by handoperated implements without any great effort.

States Patent ice An embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is an end view of a container unit consisting of container and container holder, to which the blocking means according to the invention are fitted.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the container unit of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows in detail how the blocking means are supported in the container holder.

The container unit shown in the drawings comprises the container proper 11, having a billet chamber 12 and a container holder 13 which houses the container; An extrusion die 14 of the conventional type is shown at one end of the billet chamber 12. The container holder 13 is closed all round and the container 11 has therefore to be placed in position therein or to be removed therefrom.

It is essential for the container 11, whilst in position inside the holder 13, to be held against axial displacement relative to the holder. To this end, a ring 15 is provided which is co-axial with the container and can be rotated about its axis.

The ring 15 is insertable into a space between the flange 16 at the entry end of the container holder and a shoulder 17 on the container proper. Another shoulder 17 on the container is adapted to engage a flange 16' at the opposite end of the container holder.

As can be seen from Fig. 1, the ring 15 has at its periphery a number of outwardly projecting tongues 18 which engage flange 16 from behind when the ring 15 is- 16 and 16 and the shoulders 17. This clearance is provided in order to allow for thermal expansion of the container during the operation of the press.

The flange 16 has recesses 19 corresponding in number and size to the tongues 18, so that the ring 15, after being turned by an angle corresponding to the width of the tongues and recesses, can be slid past the flange 16 and out of the container holder 13. In the embodiment shown, the ring 15 has four of such tongues 18, and the flange 16 accordingly has four of such recesses 19, so that by turning the ring by 45, the latter is moved from a blocking position into one in which it can be removed from the container holder. I

The ring 15 is rotatably supported inside the container holder 13 by means of two loose rollers journalled on pins 21. This support enables the ring 15 to be turned without any great eifort by hand-operated implements which can be inserted in one of a number of holes 22. The ring 15 can be secured in its blocking position by means of a small'screw 23.

The invention can be carried out in other ways than those shown and described here; the number and the arrangement of the tongues and recesses may vary, as Well as the supporting means for the ring inside the container holder. The ring, instead of abutting against a shoulder on the container, may abut against its end hind by means of said tongues, said tongues being adapted to be moved into a position opposite the recesses in said flange to permit said ring to he slid past the flange and out of the said container holder an abutment means on said ring to simultaneously engage the container to axially hold said container in the container holder when said ring is in engagement with said flange.

2. In a metal extrusion press having a billet container and a container holder housing said billet container, an inturned flange on said container holder having spaced recesses therein, means for preventing axial movement of said billet container when inside said holder, consisting of a ring which has outwardly projecting tongues adapted to slide into said recesses and when interposed between said container and said container holder to engage the unrecessed parts of said flange from behind by means of said tongues, the flange of said container holder having recesses corresponding in number and size to said tongues, said ring being adapted to be turned about its axis whereby said tongues are moved in and out of alignment with said recesses and abutment means on said ring to simultaneously engage the container to axially hold said container in the container holder when said ring is in engagement with said flange.

3. In a metal extrusion press, a billet container, :1 billet container holder, an inturned flange at each end of said container holder, a recess at each end of said billet container, one of said flanges extending inward beyond the external diameter of said billet container and receiving one of said recesses therein, the other of said flanges being of greater internal diameter than the external diameter of said container, gaps in said latter flange, a ring fitting between said latter flange and the adjacent recess in said container, said ring having tongues extending outwardly therefrom, said tongues being adapted to slide between said gaps and when said ring is turned to fit behind said latter flange to hold said billet container in position in said holder and abutment means on said ring to simultaneously engage the container to axially hold said container in the container holder when said ring is in engagement with said flange.

4. In a metal extrusion press, a billet container of substantially cylindrical external shape, a container holder forming a housing around said billet container and a retaining ring insertable between said billet container and said container holder for preventting axial movement of said container relative to said holder, said billet container having an annular recess at one end and said container holder having an inwardly turned flange adjacent and radially spaced apart from said recess, the internal diameter of said flange being greater than the external diameter of the unrecessed portion of said container, said retaining ring having two sections of different diameter, the internal diameter of the front section be ing smaller than the external diameter of the unrecessed portion of said container and the external diameter'of the rear section being larger than the internal diameter of said flange, the rear section of said ring extending behind said inwardly turned flange and fitting over the unrecessed portion of said container when said front portion is inserted in the radial space between the recess in said container and the inwardly turned flanga of said container holder, said flange having circumferentially spaced gaps and the rear section of said ring having circumferentially spaced tongues fitting into said gaps, said retaining ring being rotatable about the axis of said container and container holder, so as to move said tongues in or out of register with said gaps and abutment means on said ring to simultaneously engage the container to axially hold said container in the container holder when said ring is in engagement with said flange.

5. In a metal extrusion press, a billet container of substantially cylindrical shape, a container holder forming a housing around said billet container and a retaining ring insertable between said billet container and said holder for preventing axial movement of said container relative to said holder, the outside of said container having annular recesses at both ends and said container holder having inwardly turned flanges adjacent and radially spaced apart from each of said recesses, the internal diameter of one flange being greater than the outer diameter of the unrecessed portion of said container and the internal diameter of the second flange being smaller than the outer diameter of the unrecessed portion of said container, said retaining ring consisting of two integral front and rear sections, the internal diameter of said front section being smaller than the external diameter of the unrecessed portion of said container, and the external diameter of said rear section being larger than the internal diameter of said first flange, said rear section of said ring extending behind said first flange and fitting over the unrecessed portion of said container when said front section is inserted in the radial space between the first flange of said container holder and the adjacent recess on said container, said first flange having circumferentially spaced apart gaps, and the rear section of said ring having circumferentially spaced apart tongues fitting into said gaps, said retaining ring being rotatable about the axis of said container and container holder so as to move said tongues in or out of register with said gaps and abutment means on said ring to simultaneously engage the container to axially hold said container in the container holder when said ring is in engagev ment with said first flange.

6. In a metal extrusion press, a billet container of sub stantially cylindrical external shape, a container holder forming a housing around said billet container and a retaining ring insertable between said container and said container holder for preventing axial movement of said container relative to said container holder, said container holder having an inwardly turned flange, the internal diameter of said flange being greater than the outer diameter of said container, said retaining ring consisting of front and rear sections, the internal diameter of said front section being smaller than the external diameter of said container, and the external diameter of the rear section being larger than the internal diameter of said flange, said rear section extending behind said inwardly turned flange and fitting over said container, when the front section of said ring is positioned inside said inwardly turned flange of said container holder, said flange having circumferentially spaced apart gaps and the rear section of said ring having circumfercntially spaced apart tongues fitting into said gaps, said retaining ring being rotatable about the axis of said container and container holder, so as to move said tongues in or out of register with said gaps and abutment means on said ring to simultaneously engage the container to axially hold said container in the container holder when said ring is in engagement with said flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 95,850 Tatham Oct. 12, 1869 888,299 Benjamin May 19, 1908 1,011,522 Summey Dec. 12, 1911 FOREIGN PATENTS 328,365 Great Britain May 1, 1930 695,948 Germany Sept. 6, 1940 

